2012 Toyota Avalon Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Good The 2012 Toyota Avalon has 30 NHTSA complaints, 4 recalls, and a complaint index of 35, ranking 12th worst out of 18 model years. It carries a Good verdict, well below the higher-complaint 2005-2008 and 2013 model years.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 35/100
- #12 of 18 Avalon years
- Verdict
- Good
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 30
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 4
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 8
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 6
- Top issue
- Structure & Body
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 22
- 19 city / 28 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 6 / 0
Top 2012 Toyota Avalon problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Structure & Body7 (23%)
- Airbags6 (20%)
- Engine5 (17%)
- Electrical System4 (13%)
- Visibility & Wipers4 (13%)
- Brakes3 (10%)
- Other2 (7%)
- Seat Belts1 (3%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires1 (3%)
- Transmission & Powertrain1 (3%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Some owners report unintended acceleration where engine RPMs rose on their own after shifting into drive or coming to a stop.
- Several drivers describe brake failure or unresponsive brakes, sometimes accompanied by a racing-engine sound, leading to low-speed collisions.
- Owners report the vehicle lurched or moved on its own while parking, striking objects like signs or buildings.
- Multiple complaints describe frontal airbags failing to deploy during moderate to high-speed crashes, including a highway collision with a truck.
- One owner reported a sub-woofer-related electrical issue tied to a recall campaign that took an extended time to repair.
2012 Toyota Avalon recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 20V024000Jan 17, 2020Airbags2,891,976 vehicles
Air bags: air bag/restraint control module
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Corolla, 2011-2013 Matrix, 2012-2018 Avalon, and 2013-2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles. During certain crashes, the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) may malfunction, possibly disabling the deployment of the air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners.
Risk: In the event of a crash, air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners that do not deploy as intended may increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ECU and install a noise filter between the air bag control module and its wire harness, as necessary, free of charge. Owners were notified of the safety risk beginning March 2, 2020. A second letter notifying owners of the remedy repair will be mailed between March 16, 2020 and June 27, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB03, 20TA03 and 20TA05.
- NHTSA 18V569000Aug 29, 2018Seat Belts19,354 vehicles
Seat belts
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2012 Toyota Avalon vehicles. During a vehicle repair, the seat belt inner buckles may have been replaced with parts that may incorrectly tell the air bag management system that the seat belt is always buckled.
Risk: If the seat belt is falsely interpreted as being buckled, in the event of a crash, the air bags may not deploy appropriately, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the seat belt assembly to verify that it is properly detecting being unbuckled, replacing the inner seat belt assembly as necessary, free of charge. The recall began September 19, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0S.
- NHTSA 15V047000Jan 28, 2015Electrical System51,495 vehicles
Electrical system
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Toyota Avalon vehicles manufactured February 9, 2010, to October 22, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the sub-woofer speaker located in the trunk may experience an intermittent electrical short which may cause damage to the integrated circuit (IC) in the audio amplifier. In some cases, the damaged IC may allow a constant electrical current flow to the sub-woofer.
Risk: A constant electrical current flow may cause the sub-woofer to overheat, increasing the risk of fire.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the audio system amplifier and install a protective cover around the sub-woofer, free of charge. The recall began on July 1,2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
2012 Toyota Avalon fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 19 MPG
- Highway
- 28 MPG
- Combined
- 22 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,950
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2012 compared with other Avalon years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2012 Toyota Avalon reliable?
- Based on NHTSA complaints and recalls, the 2012 Avalon has a complaint index of 35 and ranks 12th worst out of 18 model years, earning a Good verdict relative to other Avalon years.
- What recalls does the 2012 Toyota Avalon have?
- NHTSA lists four recalls for the 2012 Avalon covering airbags, seat belts, electrical system (sub-woofer wiring), and an air conditioning condenser drain hose issue.
- What is the top complaint area for the 2012 Toyota Avalon?
- Structure & Body complaints are the most common, making up 23% of complaints, followed by Airbags at 20% and Engine at 17%.
- How does the 2012 Avalon compare to other years?
- The 2012 model's complaint index of 35 is much lower than the 2005-2008 Avalon years, which range from 82 to 100 and carry Avoid verdicts.
- What is the fuel economy of the 2012 Toyota Avalon?
- The 2012 Avalon gets 22 mpg combined (19 city / 28 highway) with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,950 according to EPA data.